Abstract Foodborne illnesses are a growing concern within the United States, North Carolina and Davidson County and will likely continue to increase unless proper methods for addressing the five risk factors are developed to decelerate progression. According to a study by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in 2018, roughly 1 in 6 Americans fall ill every year from a foodborne illness (CDC, 2018). This project proposal is to focus on the five risk factors involved with foodborne illnesses, determine which risk factors are most ?out-of compliance? and implement intervention strategies to bridge the gaps in Davidson County?s food safety system; as well as create and implement new ideas to bring educational resources and opportunities to the community. In 2012, the State of North Carolina adopted new food handling guidelines, set by the Food and Drug Administration, to no longer observe the extra ?2 point? addition to the final inspection grade if an employee had a Food Protection Manager certification. The new rule requires a food industry worker to obtain a food safety certification; otherwise, 2 points will automatically be deducted. After declaration of this rule, a decrease was noticed for certain risk factors in establishments where a certification was attained. The department aims to achieve compliance with these risk factors by keeping Food Protection Manager Certification courses readily available in our County. Additionally, a food safety advisory panel with annual meetings will be conducted to allow input from both industry and consumer standpoints; as well as an online forum that will create a communication link between the industry and Regulatory Authorities. The project will begin with a baseline study from the FDA?s suggested four facility categories, assessing which risk factors are most often observed during a food service inspection. Once completed, the baseline study will allow the execution of intervention strategies that will be introduced to reduce the occurrence of frequently marked priority risk factor(s). These intervention strategies will target food industry workers and involve educational opportunities, in house training, surveys, educational handouts, quality assurance visits, and incentives to promote proper food safety procedures.